Integration of graphical application content into the graphical scene of another application

• US 7,868,893 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2006
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Hughes, David William, Boccara, Michael, Feth, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): WASHBURN, DANIEL C
• Application Number:
  US11/368,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20070211065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 345/522, 345/419, 715/782, 715/848, 715/852
• US Class Current: 345/522
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/00 General purpose image data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

This application describes a system that captures 3D geometry commands from a first 3D graphics process and stores them in a shared memory. A second 3D environment process creates a 3D display environment using a display and display hardware. A third process obtains the 3D commands and supplies them to the hardware to place 3D objects in the 3D environment. The result is a fused display environment where 3D objects are displayed along with other display elements. Input events in the environment are analyzed and mapped to the 3D graphics process or the environment where they affect corresponding processing.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

intercepting, by an intercept module, buffer-based architecture three-dimensional (3D) graphics commands produced by a first application, wherein the 3D graphics commands are not provided by the first application for consumption by the intercept module; and

combining the intercepted 3D graphics commands with a 3D graphics command stream of a second application to drive display hardware in order to integrate a 3D object based on the intercepted 3D graphics commands into a 3D scene, using a same 3D coordinate system of the 3D scene, based on the 3D graphics command stream of the second application, wherein the 3D scene is independent of the first application.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

producing an integrated 3D scene comprising the integrated 3D object and the 3D scene generated by the 3D graphics command stream in the display hardware.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the combining further comprises modifying the intercepted 3D graphics commands in order to visually integrate the 3D object into the 3D scene.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the modifying comprises:

correlating 3D coordinate systems and scene lighting of the 3D object and the 3D scene.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the modifying comprises:

correlating visual effects of the 3D object and the 3D scene.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising driving a same graphics accelerator hardware with the intercepted 3D graphics commands and the 3D graphics command stream.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising driving another display hardware with the intercepted 3D graphics commands.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising storing the intercepted 3D graphics commands in a memory that is shared among different processing threads, or distributed over the network between several computer hosts.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising transforming data of the intercepted 3D graphics commands from a first application data type to a second application data type.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising creating a 3D media fusion environment at the second application.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the intercepting comprises copying function calls arriving at call entry points of the first application.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the combining further comprises passing the copied function calls to entry points of the second application.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the combining further comprises modifying the passed function responsive to a 3D fusion environment.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising converting input events of the display of the second application into input events of the first application.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising determining whether the input event corresponds to the first application.

16. A system, comprising:

graphics hardware configured to produce display signals;

a display configured to produce an image using the display signals;

a shared memory; and

a computer comprising;

a three-dimensional (3D) graphics process configured to generate buffer-based architecture 3D graphics commands;

an intercept process configured to intercept the 3D graphics commands produced by the 3D graphics process, wherein the 3D graphics commands are not provided by the 3D graphics process for consumption by the intercept process, and storing the intercepted 3D graphics commands in the shared memory;

a 3D environment process configured to generate a 3D graphics command stream for a 3D fusion environment and supply the 3D graphics command stream to the graphics hardware;

an integration process configured to integrate a 3D object based on the intercepted 3D graphics commands into the 3D fusion environment, using a same 3D coordinate system of the 3D fusion environment, based on the 3D graphics command stream of the second application, wherein the 3D fusion environment is independent of the 3D graphics process.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

second graphics hardware receiving the intercepted 3D graphics commands; and

a second display producing a display for the intercepted 3D graphics commands.

18. The system of claim 16, the computer further comprising:

a mapping process configured to map inputs to the 3D fusion environment to the 3D graphics process and the 3D environment process.

19. A display, comprising:

a three-dimensional (3D) fusion display environment displayed in a window, independent of a first process, created by a buffer-based architecture 3D graphics command stream generated by a second process;

a 3D object created by 3D graphics commands generated by a first process, intercepted by an intercept module, and integrated into the 3D fusion display environment, using a same 3D coordinate system of the 3D fusion display environment, wherein the intercepted 3D graphics commands are not provided by the first process for consumption by the intercept module; and

display hardware configured to display the integrated 3D fusion display environment.

20. The display as recited in claim 19, wherein data can be dragged and dropped into the window.

21. The display as recited in claim 19, wherein transparent collaboration on the 3D object and the 3D fusion display environment displayed in the window can be performed without altering or recompiling source code of a source application.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

intercepting, by an intercept module, buffer-based architecture three-dimensional (3D) graphics commands produced by a 3D graphics application, wherein the 3D graphics commands are not provided by the 3D graphics application for consumption by the intercept module; and

combining the intercepted 3D graphics commands with a 3D graphics command stream of a 3D environment graphics application to drive display hardware in order to integrate a 3D object based on the intercepted 3D graphics commands into a 3D environment, using a same 3D coordinate system of the 3D environment, based on the 3D graphics command stream of the 3D environment graphics application, wherein the 3D environment is independent of the 3D graphics application.